Crimestoppers
Fearless - Our Youth Service
The rise of criminal gangs in Cumbria
We launched a new campaign today with the Cumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Peter McCall, to highlight the rise of criminal gangs moving into Cumbria who exploit vulnerable people and children.
Our campaign aims to highlight the dangers of what are known as 'County Lines'.
County Lines are where criminals from major cities such as Liverpool, Manchester, London and Birmingham expand their drug networks to rural areas, bringing with them serious criminal behaviour such as violence, exploitation and abuse.
Criminal gangs often set up a base in a rural area for a short time, taking over the home of a vulnerable person (called cuckooing) and use adults and children to act as drug runners. Many of those targeted have been forced to carry out criminal activity by threats, grooming and extortion. For many, they do not see a way out.
The campaign will include using social media to raise awareness of the issue and to increase the amount of information being given by the public in Cumbria.
We received 1,515 pieces of information from the public in Cumbria last year, over half of these were on drug trafficking and supply. This information resulted in significant arrests, seizures of drugs and the disruption of criminal gangs by Cumbria Police.
If you have any information about those exploiting children and young people, we are here to help. Call our UK Contact Centre anonymously on 0800 555 111 or use our non-traceable online form.
Our campaign aims to highlight the dangers of what are known as 'County Lines'.
County Lines are where criminals from major cities such as Liverpool, Manchester, London and Birmingham expand their drug networks to rural areas, bringing with them serious criminal behaviour such as violence, exploitation and abuse.
Criminal gangs often set up a base in a rural area for a short time, taking over the home of a vulnerable person (called cuckooing) and use adults and children to act as drug runners. Many of those targeted have been forced to carry out criminal activity by threats, grooming and extortion. For many, they do not see a way out.
The campaign will include using social media to raise awareness of the issue and to increase the amount of information being given by the public in Cumbria.
We received 1,515 pieces of information from the public in Cumbria last year, over half of these were on drug trafficking and supply. This information resulted in significant arrests, seizures of drugs and the disruption of criminal gangs by Cumbria Police.
“The exploitation of children and young people by these gangs is truly worrying. The victims are often too young and too troubled to be able to realise what is happening to them.
“Crimestoppers believes everyone has the right to feel safe from crime and we need your help to protect children and young people from exploitation. We won’t ask your name. Won’t judge. Just listen to what you know. When you hang up the phone or click `send’, you’re done. In over 30 years, our charity has always kept its promise that everyone who contacts us stays 100% anonymous. Always.”
“I am pleased to support this important new campaign to highlight the menace of criminal gangs seeking to exploit vulnerable adults and children as they seek new territories for their drug dealing networks.
“They exploit children and young people by coercing them into running Class A drugs, cash or weapons, not just here in Cumbria but across the UK. I am delighted to see the considerable number of operations and arrests that have been made recently by Cumbria Police and the significant amount of community intelligence that is being received anonymously by Crimestoppers.”
If you have any information about those exploiting children and young people, we are here to help. Call our UK Contact Centre anonymously on 0800 555 111 or use our non-traceable online form.
